Auburn 'really high' for TE after official visit

Roger Saleapaga will announce his decision Friday.

The four-star tight end out of Orem, Utah, set his decision date for Dec. 1 and will choose between Auburn, Tennessee, Oregon, Utah and Alabama. Before that decision, though, Saleapaga spent the weekend in Auburn on an official visit.

“It was fun,” Saleapaga said. “I was telling coach Ben (Aigamaua) on Sunday morning that I had one of the best times I’ve ever had on a visit. I was spending time with the fans and the players. Also spending time with the coaches was really fun for me and my family."

Saleapaga caught one of the more thrilling Iron Bowls in the rivalry's history, with Alabama coming out on top 27-24 in a last-minute miracle. However, the atmosphere was one of the best that Saleapaga's ever seen.

"The atmosphere was really crazy," Saleapaga said. "I was up on the wall dancing with Walker White and other guys. It was super fun. I had a lot of fun being in the stadium and being with the commits and other recruits.”

Auburn plays a lot of 12-personnel grouping on offense, often lining up with multiple tight ends on the field. It was something that Saleapaga noticed Saturday, and finds appealing for the program.

"I would say their need for tight ends next year is really advertising for me," Saleapaga said. "I want to play early and I think they are one of the spots where that can happen...Them having two or three tight ends all the time on the field was really good to see."

The Tigers fell just short of beating Alabama, but Saleapaga has faith that head coach Hugh Freeze and his staff are on the right track.

"You can tell that coach Freeze and the main staff are close to their main goals," Saleapaga said. "Also, I see the potential of the team. I believe that in a few years Auburn is going to be a great team. Auburn is going to be back up there on top, maybe even number one. I see Auburn as a great team in the future. I can’t wait to see what they do. You can tell the coaching staff is up to something."

When he makes his decision on Dec. 1, where does Auburn fit in?

"After this week, Auburn is really high on my board," Saleapaga said. "I’m not going to lie, going into the trip I wasn’t too sure about Auburn. Now it’s a school I’m really looking at right now. I’m grateful I had the opportunity to spend the time with the coaches and the fanbase. I’m really excited about Auburn."